Democracy

Istanbul's deposed mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was stripped of his election win this week, told AFP he would lead a "revolution" for democracy ahead of next month's re-run of the vote. "What we are doing now is a fight for democracy and mobilisation for democracy. It will of course be a revolution once we carry it to its conclusion," he told AFP. Turkey's top election body annulled the results of the March 31 mayoral vote on Monday, after the ruling party of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan alleged "serious corruption" in the count. "The seven members (of the election body) will take their place in history like a black stain, but it is our responsibility to correct it. We keep on fighting," said Imamoglu, who represents the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). "I wish they had done their job. They failed to do so," he added, speaking in his office on the outskirts of Istanbul. The loss of Turkey's economic hub was a major setback for Erdogan and his party, which has … [Read more...] about Deposed Istanbul mayor vows ‘revolution’ for democracy

Ever since the Philippines declared independence in 1898, its people has called itself the showcase of democracy in Asia. But if we look at the country’s history during the past 120 years, keeping democracy alive and vibrant has been a constant struggle. During these past 12 decades, there have been four big stories that can explain this struggle and offer a vision for the nation’s future. After the Philippine war for independence against the Spaniards and the Americans came the long period of non-violent movement for independence from American colonization. That was the era of the great “wise men” in Philippine politics. There were Manuel Quezon, Sergio Osmeña, Lorenzo Sumulong and young nationalists like Claro Mayo Recto. In both these historical stories, the leaders came from the elite educated class. It started with the ilustrados like Jose Rizal, Marcelo del Pilar and Antonio Luna whose families were rich enough to send them to be … [Read more...] about Keeping democracy alive

Facebook has announced its first grants for independent research on social media's impact on democracy that will investigate, among other things, the role of technology platforms in spread of misinformation. Social media platforms have come under intense scrutiny around the world ever since allegations surfaced of Russian-linked accounts trying to influence the 2016 US presidential election. For the study, more than 60 researchers were chosen from 30 academic institutions across 11 countries through a competitive peer review process by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) and the independent group Social Science One. These researchers will gain access to privacy-protected Facebook data. "We hope this initiative will deepen public understanding of the role social media has on elections and democracy and help Facebook and other companies improve their products and practices," Elliot Schrage, Vice President for Special Projects at Facebook and the company's Strategic Initiatives … [Read more...] about FB to fund study on social media’s role in democracy

I, for one, would not be at all surprised if readers are fed up with a beast that has been prodded, poked and carved to the point of near exhaustion. Now, if we are to believe the anti-democracy rabble, “democracy” (when it suits – such ironic hypocrisy) has not only been done but seen to be done, and now these nostalgic xenophobes, the Little Englander populists, are baying for a final outcome. Yet again, they upchuck the usual hysterical memes about the “will of the people” and “manifest destiny” that are despoiling the political landscape. Indeed, within these pages the readership has had its collective intelligence profoundly insulted by transparent extremism coyly pretending to be small “c” conservatism, in order to dignify the pernicious twin evils of nostalgic xenophobia and hyper-nationalism. What we can say with a fair degree of certainty, however, is that the capering Brexiteers have sold their fantasy on a patently false … [Read more...] about Pity poor democracy, kidnapped and tortured by Little Englanders

69% of Filipinos satisfied with democracy — Pew poll Patricia Lourdes Viray (Philstar.com) - April 30, 2019 - 9:53am MANILA, Philippines — Majority of Filipinos are satisfied with how democracy works in the country, according to a recent survey released by Washington-based polling firm Pew Research Center. The study released April 29 showed that 69% of Filipinos are satisfied with the state of democracy in the country while 31 percent are not satisfied. The survey also showed that between 2017 and 2018, dissatisfaction with the way democracy is working in the Philippines remained the same at 31%. According to Pew, Asia-Pacific nations tend to be satisfied with how democracy works in their country with the exception of Japan with 56% who said they are dissatisfied. In Europe, six out of 10 countries are dissatisfied with democracy, the highest discontent rate recorded in Italy, Spain and Greece. Around half or more … [Read more...] about 69% of Filipinos satisfied with democracy — Pew poll